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Author: William A. Jacobson

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William A. Jacobson

William A. Jacobson is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell Law School.

He is a 1981 graduate of Hamilton College and a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School. At Harvard he was Senior Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal and Director of Litigation for the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project.

Prior to joining the Cornell law faculty in 2007, Professor Jacobson had a highly successful civil litigation and arbitration practice in Providence, Rhode Island, concentrating in investment, employment, and business disputes in the securities industry, including many high profile cases reported in leading newspapers and magazines.

Professor Jacobson has argued cases in numerous federal and state courts, including the Courts of Appeal for the First, Fifth and Sixth Circuits, and the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Professor Jacobson has a national reputation as a leading practitioner in securities arbitration. He was Treasurer, and is a former member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, a professional organization of attorneys dedicated to protecting public investors. He frequently is quoted in national media on issues related to investment fraud and investor protection, and in the past has served as one of a small number of private practice attorneys who trained new arbitrators for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Professor Jacobson is co-author of the Securities Arbitration Desk Reference (Thomson-Reuters), updated annually.

Professor Jacobson is frequently quoted in the media on political and legal topics, has authored many Op-Eds in major publications, and appears on television and radio to discuss politics and the law.

A more complete listing of Professor Jacobson's professional background is available at the Cornell Law School website. The views expressed here are his own and not those of any employer or organization,

The best way to reach Prof. Jacobson is by e-mail here.

Kathleen already gave a rundown on Keith Olbermann's re-appearance at Cornell.I am so glad I did not attend. I already saw the show on MSNBC.(Thanks to reader Lenny for the link.)--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

You go guy:“I am writing to let you know that I have just announced my decision to run for the U.S. Senate from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2012,” Kaine wrote in am email to DNC members today. He called the move “an exciting next...

The Democrats want a shutdown more than anything else.  Chuck Schumer has been itching for it, as has the entire Democratic caucus. It will be their magic elixir:It's hard to make a deal when you think you don't even need to negotiate -- and that's...

That's the phrase that jumped out at me from Paul Ryan's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal setting forth the Republican proposal to reform the system of entitlements which is driving us off a debt cliff (emphasis mine):No one person or party is responsible for...

What is it with Nobel Peace Prize winners lately?Now its 2005 Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei threatening war with Israel if Israel gets into another war with Hamas in Gaza:Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, who had previously announced his intetions to run for...

Former Congressman John Adler and his wife Shelley were law school classmates of mine.  John passed away yesterday at the age of 51 from complications from a heart infection.  As reported by the Newark Star Ledger:Former U.S. Rep. John Adler had a knack for beating...

I don't know if this is a sign that perhaps all the noise and fury from the Democrats and unions in Wisconsin does not reflect reality, but it is worth noting that Republicans have collected enough signatures to force a recall election in Senate District 22,...

A post at POWIP by an author who lives in Madison, WI, documents how in mid-March, with the budget repair bill having recently passed, a variety of unions in Sauk County acceded to all management demands, including giving "carte blanche [to the county] with regard to the...

Something about it always struck me as a stretch, but the words of Muammar Gaddafi, repeated endlessly in the media and from the White House, seemed to portent doom in Benghazi.  Now Steve Chapman has put the lie to the Obama claim that military intervention was...

Obama announced via Twitter that his grassroots campaign will start today, on the eve of his nationwide tour of big money donors so that he can become the first billion-dollar candidate in the history of this country (sorry, that last part wasn't in the announcement).The Obama campaign...

I'm sorry that I forgot to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Marine Corporal Jonathan Daniel Porto, who was killed in Afghanistan on March 14, 2010, leaving behind his wife and infant daughter.  The original blog post by Cpl. Porto's wife, Rachel, announcing his death was...

When you aspire to be the billion-dollar candidate, turning off the security features on your credit card operation just isn't going to do the job.  You need big money donors to show you the money.And so it is for the most historic fundraiser ever, someone...

As noted yesterday, Richard Goldstone has recanted and regretted much of his report issued on behalf of the United Nations Human Rights Council accusing Israel of serious war crimes during the Gaza war.So how do we cleanse the world of the putrid stench of the...

We're part way there, but that was the easy part.  The next 18 months will be, in the words of the sage, hand-to-hand combat.Spotted by reader Scott:(Please remember my caution about taking photos while driving.)--------------------------------------------Related Posts:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and...

From the HotAir homepage this afternoon:--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...

The Citizens United case weighs very, very heavily on their minds and their bumpers.Spotted in Ithaca today:--------------------------------------------Related Posts:Bumper Stickers - The SeriesFollow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop on CafePress!...